Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Officer who shoved kneeling protester is relieved of duty.
Review to decide if officer will keep job
A Fort Lauderdale police officer seen on video shoving a kneeling protester during Sunday’s demonstrations against police violence has been relieved of duty pending a criminal investigation. And an administrative review will determine if he gets to keep his job, officials said Monday.
The confrontation between the kneeling demonstrator and Officer Steven Pohorence came at the tail end of what had been a peaceful protest, escalating an already tense situation.
In social video, Pohorence can be seen walking into the crowd, ordering protesters to disperse. But Pohorence walks too far and becomes encircled. As he turns to walk away, a kneeling woman wearing a white T-shirt and a face covering blocks his path.
Pohorence shoves her out of the way, pushing her to the ground. A fellow officer, Krystle Smith, immediately berates Pohorence and separates him from the protesters, who begin to throw water bottles.
Soon after, witnesses say police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets and concussion grenades, dispersing the crowd. Later, as evening falls, officials state that protesters shattered windows and engaged in vandalism.
Local officials blamed outside agitators for the property damage and violence that occurred after Sunday’s march. They labeled them troublemakers who were looking for an adrenaline fix.
But some activists blame the violence on the cops.
“From what I witnessed it seemed like the police were getting ready to go to war and the protesters were unarmed and the police had their large weapons out for intimidation. It was a very scary dynamic to be in,” said Tiffany Burks, a community organizer for Black Lives Matter Alliance Broward.
At a news conference Monday, Fort Lauderdale
Police Chief Rick Maglione said Pohorence was responding to a radio call from an officer in distress when the encounter happened.
“I don’t think the officer’s action created what occurred,” Maglione said.
Later, he said it “could’ve added to what was going on.”
Maglione said protesters had attacked a police car, jumping on it and breaking its windows. Pohorence and other officers responded to the initial distress call, and Pohorence shoved the protester in the confrontation that followed.
Jonothan DeCamps, a local photographer who witnessed the incident, said he did not see any police vehicles with their windows broken, or any officers in distress, in the immediate vicinity before the shouting began that led to the kneeling protester being shoved.
“People were already peaceful. They were headed home. Nobody was being violent,” he said.
In response to the encounter, Pohorence has been relieved of duty pending a criminal investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
After that investigation has concluded, a second inquiry will begin into whether Pohorence violated the department’s administrative procedures, Maglione said Tuesday
According to Florida Department of Law Enforcement records, Pohorence has been an officer since Dec. 2, 2012. He transferred to the Fort Lauderdale police force in November 2016.
Pohorence’s personnel file wasn’t available Monday. Neither were body camera footage or police radio calls of the encounter.
“As of right now, we can’t comment on an open possible investigation,” said Shane Calvey, president of the Fort Lauderdale Fraternal Order of Police.
Dean Trantalis, mayor of Fort Lauderdale, said Monday he found the video offensive.
“I thought that should never have happened,” he said.